DirectTv Tivo Question

G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

I currently have a Dual LNB setup. I have 2 lines coming into my house
going into a multiswitch. 2 lines going into my Tivo, the other into
another room.
Can I add another multiswitch to the line that's in my other room to
make that 2 lines as well? Or can you not re-split a line that is coming
out of a splitter?
Just trying to get to lines into my other room without having to run a
boatload of add'l cable.

How is the multi switch diff't than a basic coaxial splitter?
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

>I currently have a Dual LNB setup. I have 2 lines coming into my house
>going into a multiswitch. 2 lines going into my Tivo, the other into
>another room.
>Can I add another multiswitch to the line that's in my other room to
>make that 2 lines as well? Or can you not re-split a line that is coming
>out of a splitter?

You can usually daisy-chain one multiswitch off of another
(multi-satellite setups can be tricky, though).

In order to do it, you must have *two* free ports on the upstream
multiswitch (the one closer to the dish). Connect these to the two
"LNB" inputs on the second multiswitch, and then connect a bunch of
downstream devices to the output ports on the second multiswitch.

>How is the multi switch diff't than a basic coaxial splitter?

It's a much more sophisticated device, because it has to be.

An LNB outputs a whole bunch of satellite signals at once - it's a
"Low Noise Blockconverter" which shifts a whole range of the microwave
spectrum down to a lower frequency range (one which can go over coax
without being lost). There are actually two sets of signals being
transmitted by the satellite in each frequency range - they have
opposite polarization senses (one set is "left-hand circular
polarized" and the other is "right-hand circular polarized"). The LNB
receives, and block-converts either the LHCP set, or the RHCP set, at
any given moment. Which set it receives and converts, depends on the
DC power voltage being fed up to it via the coax cable (it's either 13
or 18 volts, nominal).

A single receiver can use a single LNB, and switch the LNB between
LHCP and RHCP signals as it wishes, depending on which transponder
it wants to receive.

You can't put two receivers (or tuners) on a single cable to a single
LNB, because a lot of the time they'll want signals of different
polarization sense, they'll [try to] send conflicting DC voltages up
the coax, they'll fight, and one of them (at least) will lose and will
not get the signal it wants.

So, to use two tuners (or two single-tuner receivers) you need two
separate LNBs (or a dual LNB in a single enclosure).

To run three or more tuners from two LNBs (or a dual LNB) you play
games - you use a multiswitch. The 'switch always feeds 13 volts up
to one LNB and 18 volts to the other, so the LNBs themselves are
locked on to the same polarizations. The 'switch then "listens" to
the DC voltage it receives from each tuner, and selects one or the
other LNB's signal to feed down to the tuner.

Hence, you can daisy-chain two multiswitches (usually). The
"upstream" switch (near the dish) looks like a pair of LNBs to the
"downstream" LNB, and the "downstream" LNB looks like a pair of
tuners/receivers to two of the ports on the "upstream" LNB.

--
Dave Platt <dplatt@radagast.org> AE6EO
Hosting the Jade Warrior home page: http://www.radagast.org/jade-warrior
I do _not_ wish to receive unsolicited commercial email, and I will
boycott any company which has the gall to send me such ads!
 

danr

Distinguished
Nov 16, 2003
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Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

Dave Platt wrote:
>> I currently have a Dual LNB setup. I have 2 lines coming into my house
>> going into a multiswitch. 2 lines going into my Tivo, the other into
>> another room.
>> Can I add another multiswitch to the line that's in my other room to
>> make that 2 lines as well? Or can you not re-split a line that is coming
>> out of a splitter?
>
> You can usually daisy-chain one multiswitch off of another
> (multi-satellite setups can be tricky, though).
>
> In order to do it, you must have *two* free ports on the upstream
> multiswitch (the one closer to the dish). Connect these to the two
> "LNB" inputs on the second multiswitch, and then connect a bunch of
> downstream devices to the output ports on the second multiswitch.
>
>> How is the multi switch diff't than a basic coaxial splitter?
>
> It's a much more sophisticated device, because it has to be.
>
> An LNB outputs a whole bunch of satellite signals at once - it's a
> "Low Noise Blockconverter" which shifts a whole range of the microwave
> spectrum down to a lower frequency range (one which can go over coax
> without being lost). There are actually two sets of signals being
> transmitted by the satellite in each frequency range - they have
> opposite polarization senses (one set is "left-hand circular
> polarized" and the other is "right-hand circular polarized"). The LNB
> receives, and block-converts either the LHCP set, or the RHCP set, at
> any given moment. Which set it receives and converts, depends on the
> DC power voltage being fed up to it via the coax cable (it's either 13
> or 18 volts, nominal).
>
> A single receiver can use a single LNB, and switch the LNB between
> LHCP and RHCP signals as it wishes, depending on which transponder
> it wants to receive.
>
> You can't put two receivers (or tuners) on a single cable to a single
> LNB, because a lot of the time they'll want signals of different
> polarization sense, they'll [try to] send conflicting DC voltages up
> the coax, they'll fight, and one of them (at least) will lose and will
> not get the signal it wants.
>
> So, to use two tuners (or two single-tuner receivers) you need two
> separate LNBs (or a dual LNB in a single enclosure).
>
> To run three or more tuners from two LNBs (or a dual LNB) you play
> games - you use a multiswitch. The 'switch always feeds 13 volts up
> to one LNB and 18 volts to the other, so the LNBs themselves are
> locked on to the same polarizations. The 'switch then "listens" to
> the DC voltage it receives from each tuner, and selects one or the
> other LNB's signal to feed down to the tuner.
>
> Hence, you can daisy-chain two multiswitches (usually). The
> "upstream" switch (near the dish) looks like a pair of LNBs to the
> "downstream" LNB, and the "downstream" LNB looks like a pair of
> tuners/receivers to two of the ports on the "upstream" LNB.

Great explanation Dave!
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

DanR wrote:
> Dave Platt wrote:
>
>>>I currently have a Dual LNB setup. I have 2 lines coming into my house
>>>going into a multiswitch. 2 lines going into my Tivo, the other into
>>>another room.
>>>Can I add another multiswitch to the line that's in my other room to
>>>make that 2 lines as well? Or can you not re-split a line that is coming
>>>out of a splitter?
>>
>>You can usually daisy-chain one multiswitch off of another
>>(multi-satellite setups can be tricky, though).
>>
>>In order to do it, you must have *two* free ports on the upstream
>>multiswitch (the one closer to the dish). Connect these to the two
>>"LNB" inputs on the second multiswitch, and then connect a bunch of
>>downstream devices to the output ports on the second multiswitch.
>>
>>
>>>How is the multi switch diff't than a basic coaxial splitter?
>>
>>It's a much more sophisticated device, because it has to be.
>>
>>An LNB outputs a whole bunch of satellite signals at once - it's a
>>"Low Noise Blockconverter" which shifts a whole range of the microwave
>>spectrum down to a lower frequency range (one which can go over coax
>>without being lost). There are actually two sets of signals being
>>transmitted by the satellite in each frequency range - they have
>>opposite polarization senses (one set is "left-hand circular
>>polarized" and the other is "right-hand circular polarized"). The LNB
>>receives, and block-converts either the LHCP set, or the RHCP set, at
>>any given moment. Which set it receives and converts, depends on the
>>DC power voltage being fed up to it via the coax cable (it's either 13
>>or 18 volts, nominal).
>>
>>A single receiver can use a single LNB, and switch the LNB between
>>LHCP and RHCP signals as it wishes, depending on which transponder
>>it wants to receive.
>>
>>You can't put two receivers (or tuners) on a single cable to a single
>>LNB, because a lot of the time they'll want signals of different
>>polarization sense, they'll [try to] send conflicting DC voltages up
>>the coax, they'll fight, and one of them (at least) will lose and will
>>not get the signal it wants.
>>
>>So, to use two tuners (or two single-tuner receivers) you need two
>>separate LNBs (or a dual LNB in a single enclosure).
>>
>>To run three or more tuners from two LNBs (or a dual LNB) you play
>>games - you use a multiswitch. The 'switch always feeds 13 volts up
>>to one LNB and 18 volts to the other, so the LNBs themselves are
>>locked on to the same polarizations. The 'switch then "listens" to
>>the DC voltage it receives from each tuner, and selects one or the
>>other LNB's signal to feed down to the tuner.
>>
>>Hence, you can daisy-chain two multiswitches (usually). The
>>"upstream" switch (near the dish) looks like a pair of LNBs to the
>>"downstream" LNB, and the "downstream" LNB looks like a pair of
>>tuners/receivers to two of the ports on the "upstream" LNB.
>
>
> Great explanation Dave!
>
>
Wow.Yes, great explanation thanks.
My current switch has 2 lnb inputs, 3 sat outputs. Could I just replace
it with a switch (radio shack has'em) that has 4 outputs? This way I get
dual tuner in each room.
 

sinner

Distinguished
Dec 31, 2007
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Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

* jlab13 wrote in alt.video.ptv.tivo:

[...]

> Wow.Yes, great explanation thanks.
> My current switch has 2 lnb inputs, 3 sat outputs. Could I just replace
> it with a switch (radio shack has'em) that has 4 outputs? This way I get
> dual tuner in each room.

Yes, this is my current setup.

--
David
A beautiful man is paradise for the eyes, hell for the soul, and
purgatory for the purse.
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

In article <a7vue.4559$S_6.1093@trndny09>, jlab13 <spam@spam.com> wrote:

>Wow.Yes, great explanation thanks.
>My current switch has 2 lnb inputs, 3 sat outputs. Could I just replace
>it with a switch (radio shack has'em) that has 4 outputs? This way I get
>dual tuner in each room.

Yes, you can, and it's almost certainly the easiest way to meet your
needs.

Some people feel that "active" multiswitches (those which have their
own wall-wart power supply) are a bit more reliable than "passive"
multiswitches (those which get all of their operating power from one
or more of the receivers. This may be less of an issue if the
receivers are all modern "multi-satellite-capable" models, as these
have more-robust power supplies and can provide the LNBs and switch
with more operating current than older models could.


--
Dave Platt <dplatt@radagast.org> AE6EO
Hosting the Jade Warrior home page: http://www.radagast.org/jade-warrior
I do _not_ wish to receive unsolicited commercial email, and I will
boycott any company which has the gall to send me such ads!